Apparatus for filling containers with gas



Jan. 20, 1942. w J sco AL 2,270,788

APPARATUS FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH GAS Filed April 1, 1940 lnvenrors: William J. Scofr, Leonard J. Davies,

ill' m T Cowhig,

Their Attorney.

Patented Jan. 20, 1942 APPARATUS FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH GAS William J. Scott and Leonard J. Davies, Rugby, and William Thomas Cowhig, Manchester, England, assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application April 1, 1940, Serial No. 327,282 In Great Britain March 22, 1939 I (Cl. 226-20) Our invention relates to the manufacture of 1 Claim.

sealed containers filled with a gas at a pressure above that of the atmosphere. More particularly, our invention relates to an apparatus for introducing such a high pressure gas filling into such containers.

In connection with electric apparatus such as incandescent or discharge electric lamps or valves, it is frequently desirable to provide the envelope or container with a filling of a gas at a pressure above that of the atmosphere. This filling may be for the purpose of reducing the vaporization of the filaments or electrodes, or to increase the efliciency oi the apparatus. In order to provide this filling it is usual to have a considerable portion of the apparatus used, such as the pumps and purifying apparatus, at the pressure of the gas filling or above. This is undesirable as it increases the danger oi explosions. It also increases the waste of gas and increases the diiilculties of design of the apparatus.

An object of the present invention is to simplify the method of introducing the pressure filling into envelopes and to that end it consists in providing apparatus in proximity to the envelope which can be isolated from the remainder of the gas system. the gas being compressed in the isolated portion.

Further objects and advantages of our invention will appear from the following description of species thereof and from the accompanying drawing which illustrates dtically three diiierent arrangements for carrying out the invention.

Fig. l is a view of the preferred form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view of another form oi the invention, and

Fig. 3 is a view of still another form of the invention.

Referring to Fig. l, the numeral I represents the envelope of a lamp connected to the exhaust system by means of a tube or conduit 2. In this tube is mounted a three way tap or valve I adapted to control a branch tube 4 leading from the tube I to a cylinder or compression chamber I containing a piston I. The tube 2 is also provided with a valve 3' adapted to alternatively so as to connect the portion 2 of the tube 2 to the cylinder 5 and the gas supply, whereupon gas for the envelope I is admitted from the gas supply into the chamber 5 at atmospheric pressure or lower. The valve 3 is then turned so as to connect the cylinder 5 to the envelope l and the piston 6 is moved upwards so as to force the gas into the envelope and compress it to the desired pressure. The envelope is then sealed by any of the well known methods, after which the pressure in the cylinder 5 is reduced by withdrawing the piston 6 and the valve 3 then turned so as to isolate the cylinder from the rest of the system. This last operation withdraws some of the gas from the tube 2 into the cylinder so that it can be utilized for filling the next envelope instead of being wasted.

In Figs. 2 and 3, a liquid 1 is used to compress the gas. Fig. 2 shows the piston B in a separate cylinder 8 connected to the container I by a passage 9 so that downward movement of the piston in the cylinder 8 compresses the gas in the container I and forces the gas into the envelope I. In Fig. 3, compressed air is used instead of a piston, the compressed air being admitted to the cylinder or chamber It through a tube ll. After the lamp has been sealed off, the compressed air is released from the chamber III by means oi a valve I 2 in a release tube It.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

Apparatus for exhausting a hollow vessel and introducing into it a gas-filling at a definite pressure comprising a compression chamber, an exhaust pump, a source of gas, a three-way control valve and a two-way control valve, a conduit communicating with the interior of said vessel and with said three-way control valve. a second conduit communicating with said pressure chamber and said three-way valve, a third conduit communicating with said three-way valve and said two-way valve, and other conduits between said two-way valve and said exhaust pump and gas source respectively, said valves and conduits being so interconnected that in the first position of both valves the exhaust pump is connected through both valves only to said vessel, in the second position of both valves the gas source is connected only to said pressure chamconnect the said tube to the exhaust pump P her. and in the third position of the three-way and to a supply of gas-for the envelope. In operation, the valves I and'l' are turned so that they connect the envelope I to the exhaust pump P. when exhaustion is complete..the pump is disconnected and the valves 8 and I are-turned 66 valve the pressure chamber is connected only said vessel.

WILLIAM J. 80011. LEONARD J. DAVIIS. WILLIAM THOMAS COWHIG. 

